Cold Blue Midnight
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
In Indiana, the condemned die at midnight - men like Peter Tappley, a killer born to privilege and wealth, who lived in his mother's shadow and visited his hatred on trusting young women. Six years after his execution, his ex-wife Jill, a prominent Chicago photographer, is still trying to live down his crimes. But out there in the chilly autumn night, there is someone who still blames her for her husband's terrible deeds - someone determined to make her pay in blood. Enter Mitch Ayers, a homicide detective and former lover of Jill's, and Marcy Browne, a private eye. Both try to discover who is stalking Jill. What they find, though, may cost them their lives as well.
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From Booklist
Jill Coffey's husband, Peter, was executed after a reign of terror as a deranged ax murderer. Six years later, Jill has a successful advertising career but remains concerned that Peter's mother, Evelyn, holds her responsible for Peter's madness. Then she notices a blue Volvo trailing her and soon finds herself charged with the brutal murder of her former partner. And, as one might expect, there's someone out there with an ax getting closer and closer to Jill. Gorman is one of our best and most underappreciated thriller writers, but here it seems he's settled for a standard psycho-killer slasher epic. It's very good psycho-killer fare-Gorman could rewrite a software manual and hold our interest-but it's mediocre Gorman. Buy sparingly for the devoted few.
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From Kirkus Reviews
Six years after her son Peter Tappley was executed for stalking, raping, and killing three women, his imperious mother Evelyn is determined to punish the person she thinks responsible-Peter's wife, Chicago photographer Jill Coffey, whose dedication to her career 'made' Peter go berserk. She's hired a pair of hit men to frame Jill for the murder of her lecherous ex-partner, adman Eric Brooks. Now which of the four complications-(1) Marcy Browne, the p.i. Jill's got on the case; (2) a lovers' spat between the two hit men; (3) Cini Powell, Eric's latest conquest, who saw the killer at Eric's office; or (4) Peter's sister Doris, who's doped out Evelyn's nefarious plot-will save Jill from her fate? Prolific veteran Gorman (Hawk Moon, p. 563, etc.) has churned out a wonderfully pulpish, greased-lightning homage to Robert Bloch that you can start just before bedtime confident that you'll still finish in plenty of time for a good night's sleep.